Yvette Smith

Yvette Smith, a 47-year-old mother, was shot to death answering the door for Bastrop, Texas police officers. On the night of February 16, 2014, two sheriff deputies responded to a call for domestic disturbance at the home of Smith and her live-in boyfriend, Willie Thomas. According to the official incident report, when the officers arrived Thomas was already outside when Smith appeared at the front door with a handgun. Police claim that she failed to follow verbal directions which resulted in her shooting.

Despite police accounts, neighbors claim that they did not hear any commotion before shots rang out. In addition, Thomas claims that he attempted to tell the officers that there were no firearms in the home. A second police report was released stating that “We cannot confirm at this time that the female victim was armed with any type of firearm or other weapon at the time of the incident or that she intentionally disregarded any type of officer commands.”

While repercussions for the shooting itself has yet to be seen, two of the officers’ superiors have been demoted and suspended for record tampering in relation to the officers directly involved in the shooting.